Toyota says only that it is looking at multiple lithium-ion chemistries, including some not yet discussed.

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Padval describes the capital-efficient technology as based on lead and other chemistries.

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Over the past 15 years they have successively introduced batteries based on different chemistries that produce much more electricity given the same weight.

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So, Moseley says some companies are at least poking around with more out-there technologies, like zinc-air, sodium nickel chloride, and other exotic chemistries.

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Both Boeing and Tesla use batteries fueled by lithium cobalt oxide, which is among the most energy-dense and flammable chemistries of lithium-ion batteries on the market.

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The FAA allowed Boeing to use lithium ion batteries, instead of more traditional battery chemistries, under a series of "special conditions" intended to address concerns about the batteries.

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Parekh and Perry declined to describe what changes they have made to the stack, other than to say they are drastically reducing the amount of material needed to store power, and that their concept can be applied to any number of different battery chemistries.

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